rK.^TBBNAI^I.V INSCniBBO 



TO THE 



Class nf '39, 



EXCUDEBAT JOSEPHl^ Gni>>l>. 



„^atw(^ Ap+l^o-fp Qqu\J^ 



BOWDOIN COLLEGE, 

COMMEJNCEMENT DAY, JULY 14 1859^ 



I'm about to tell you, brothers, 
(I'll repeat it, word for word, 
As he told the tale to others,) 

WHAT A FRESHMAN SAW AND HEARD, 

^' As a queer old chap was straying 
On the College green to-day 

Came he near where I was playing, 
Talking strangely on the way. 

With a cane his steps he aided, 
And with spectacles his sight ; 

And his cheeks were wan and faded, 
And his hair was turned to white. 

^' Thirty years ! " the old man uttered^ 
" — So the children said to me : — 

T? is not true ! " he gruffly muttered, 
^* They have multiplied by three. 



551 



«* Thirty years ! oh, botheration ! ^<j5^ 

TT is not half that time, I know ;— ' ^ 

That's a full-fledged generation ; — 
"Wonder why they tease me so ! — 

«• Thirty years ! 't is arrant folly 

To concoct a tale like that!" 
But a shade of melancholy 

Lurked beneath the old man's hat, 

'* Thirty years ! " he still repeated, — > 

" Why, 't is little time ago, 
Since the boys and I were seated 

In the chapel, — all in row. 

*^ Since among the pi7ies we wanderedy 

Pining for the fair one dear, 
Or on life's grave problems pondered^ 

Problems ponder -ous with fear. 

*' Since the travelled Goodwin led us 

*N"eath Italia's skies divine, 
And on German lingo fed us, 

While we longed for their good wine. 

'- Since we learned, in strains rhetoric^ 
From Prof Newman how to speak y 

And, declaiming, Sophomoric, 
Strove t' out-do the royal Greek. 



''^ Since the learned Packard taught us, 
Dactjles, spondees, how to scan ; 

But to this he never brought us, — 
' 'T is spondulics makes the man.' " 

-^* Since from Tully, — ' Quousqice'tandem ' 

Were the ponies that we rode ; 
But preferred the * Nunc hibendum^ 
Horace told us in his Ode. 

*' I remember some hard cases 
Did not love the ancient Greek ; 

Would not go on ^Ana basis,'' 
*2Tcfr^^o!/5 5i/o' for a week. 

" Since, despite of all dissembling, 
Ferox, whom we used to dread, 

To the blackboards marched us, trembling, 
At the coming * screw ' or ^ de.ad.' 

^* Since we shrewdly calculated 

How to cut our calculus ; 
And the cuhe-iis all were rated, 

Simij^lj fatkom-less to us. 

-^ Since amid the knots and tangles 

Of the pesky x. y. z. 
We e2:-celled in making angles 

That the Ferox did not see. 



4 



' Since he spake in tones emphatic^ 

' Solve it ! try it till you can ! ' 
And we loathed his mathematics, 

While we dearly loved the maC:- 

• 

" Since one Thomas, elongat-us, 
Gat us long to prove his ' Will * 

Testing thus our mental status^ 
With his test-a-mental skill, 

*• Since we learned that lines of beauty 
Are not straight, but serpentine ; 

And, sublimely did our duty, 

Making curves from * Old Tontine.' 

' Since the good Prof. Cleaveland told u& 

How to cleave the land and rock ; 
And so shockm^j he sold us, 
With his full electric shock. 

'' Since our Prasses gulled us daily, 

(As was evidently seen,) 
Asking shrilly, — ^ What does Palejr 

In his Evidences mean V 

''And on ancient martyrs harping, 
Told what Justin Martyr taught ; 

And while we at him were carpi7tgj 
' Who was Toljcarp ? ' he sought 



— - " But I now remember^ grieviDg, 
Most of these have passed away ; 

Each a blessed memory leaving ; — 
Faithful, earnest teachers they ! 

*' One remains, still here to greet us,- 
Links the present to the past ; — 

May he long with welcome meet us, 
Ere he 's welcomed home at last. 






' Since we sang, — but that 's no matter ; 

We had trials, we had joys ; 
Thirty years ! — but how I chatter 1 
I must go and ask the hoijsT 

To all this I stood and listened. 
As the old man slowly passed ; 

In his eyes the tear-drops glistened, 
And he hurried off at last. 

But I followed closely, thinking 

Why the strange old chap was here ; 

Asked myself, if he 'd been drinking, 
That he talked so very queer. 

On he went, and, shortly meeting 
Old Judge Barrows on the hill, 

I was shocked to hear his greeting, 
" Well, my boy, how are you. Bill ?" 



But the Judge did not resent it, - 
Kather gave him quid pro quo^ 

Shook his hand as if he meant it, 
Said, — " 't was thirty years ago !"' 

As the old man paused and doubted, 
Eeyeeend Allen came in view, 

And to him he loudly shouted, 
'' Hallo ! Allen, how are you ? " 

And the grave and reverend teacher 

Shouted back, — " How are you, !Ben ? "' 

— But, with voice of solemn preacher, 
Said, " 't is thirty years since then ! " 

Then I heard the old chap sighing 
" So it was the truth they told ; 
Tempus fugit ! past denying, 
I was young, but now am old.'* 

Shortly they were joined by others. 

Old men whom they hailed, — '- Hallo ''- 

Weston ! Kimball ! welcome, brothers ! 
Brothers, — thirty years ago ! " 

From their greetings I could fancy 
That this old and sandy plain, 

By some wondrous necromancy. 
Had restored their youth againt 



Briskly chatting, nimbly walking, 
To the Judge's house they went ; 

Where, like boys, in busy talking, 
Many a happy hour they spent. 

All their youthful ties renewing, 
They discoursed of " Auld Lang Syne ;' 

All the glorious deeds reviewing 
Oftheclassof '39. 

Telling, how with martial bearing, 
They inarched all on ^' training day ;'' 

Boldly following where the daring 
Captain Talbot led the way. 

How, in military splendors 

They were gorgeously arrayed ; 

Alma Mater's stout defenders, 

When the " Yagers " made a raid. 

How, a verdant '* Fresh," benighted, 
Would not sell his soul for nought, 

Though ** Infernals," holding lighted 
Torches, told him that he ought. 

But a solemn adjuration 

Made he to respect each Soph, 

And to yield due admiration, — 
So th' " Infernals " let him off. 



8 



How tho' tar-Ay Sophs, confounded, 
Failed to fire the Fast-night tar^ 

Bon-fires flashed, and horns resounded, 
Rousing Profs, from near and far. 

Who, in haste, and sorely troubled, 
Mounted " Shanks " velocipede ; 

But, alas ! the fires were doubled ; 
(Who could dare such dreadful deed ?) 

And to solve this doubtful query. 
They re-solved to make a call. 

Tired from running, faint and weary, 
Stumbled in at old " Maine Hall." 

« 22," — so read the number, 

Where they chanced to loudly rap ;^— 
But the boys were wrap-^QA. in slumber ; 

Tiresome study caused their nap. 

But with strange and sad imprudence, 
They demanded entrance still ; 

And, as naught could rouse the students, 
Kicked the door in — with a will. 

Then was rustling, hustling, bustling. 
Then the boys were wide awake i 

And to save their ^yqqious firstlings 
Efforts strong resolved to make. 



9 



Ob the bed 't was softly lying, 
Ready for the morrow's light ; 

When, 'mid air ignobly flying, 
T was to be exposed to sight. 

T is no matter how they did it, 
But 't is sure, at early dawn, 

From the spot where they had hid it, 
To the Chapel door 't was borne. 

And when prayers were said and ended, 

It was carried solemnly ; 
And, on gallows arm suspended, 

Dangled 'twixt the earth and sky. 

Telling, also, how at meeting, 
Held in Chapel room one day ; 

To the Praeses they sent greeting 
Resolutions, — • in this way, 

'• After due deliberation 

'T is resolved — that hail we should 
Xour immediate resignation 

As a harbinger of good." 

Telling of a mighty sceptre 

" Great Mogul " waved to and fro ; 
Of Old " Betty," — how they kept her 

Coining ''shillings," "down below " 



10 



But 't would be a long, long story, 
All the sayings now to speak, 

Of these men with locks so hoary, 
Telling of each College freak. 

But their converse still pursuing, 
Spake of later hopes and fears : 

Each one told what he was doing, 
And had done for thirty years. 

Told of sons in manhood's vigor, 
Told of daughters, young and fair, 

Told of sufferings 'neath the rigor 
Of affliction and of care. 

Told of years they 'd spent in preaching 
Gospel light to men sin-blind ; 

And of patient, toilsome teaching 
Knowledge to the youthful mind. 

Told of long and weary study, 
Poring o'er black-letter law, 

To make clear the cases muddy, 
And opinions learned to draw. 

Told of how they 'd served the nation, 
Grinding at the public mill ; 

And of every place and station, 
They 'd been called upon to fill. 



11 



Told of cherished plans disjointed, 
Visions bright, but quickly flown ; 

How young dreams were disappointed^ 
Later hopes were overthrown. 

Then a shade came o'er their gladness, 
And they spake in softer tone, 

As they named, with tears of sadness, 
Many classmates dead and gone* 

Mark, Ayer, Titcomb, Perkins, Grovek, 
DuUlap, Richardson, Kelsey, Chase, 

Fletcher, Pennell, Smith, — all over, 
Young and early, with the race. 

And they said, — " their bodies perish. 

But their virtues are alive ; 
And their memories we will cherish. 

Ever dear, while we survive," 

Spake of absent ones yet living, 

Scattered, toiling far away ; 
And, Affection's tribute giving, 

Wished them joy for many a day. 

1 grew weary, — I confess it, 

Left them there and homeward ran, — - 
And the rest, — why, you must guess it, 

And may tell it if you can." 



12 



Thus, my brothers, I' ve related 

What the Freshman saw and heard ; 

Told the story as 't was stated, 
Changing not a single word. 

But — your pardon ! am I waking 
From a strange and curious dream ! 

Is the tale of my own making ? 
Are not these things as they seem ? 

Then I have a strong conviction, 
(And, my brothers, what say yof ?) 

That the tale's not all mere fiction, 
That we here have found it true. 

Thirty years ! and yet this meeting 
Proves we are not growing old ; 

That the pulse of youth, still beating 
In our hearts, shall ne'er grow cold. 

Classmates, brothers ! what is stronger 
Than the links we welded here ? 

Let us pledge, — as they grow longer 
They shall brighten^ year by year. 



'M 



'T' '^ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ^ 

029 918 296 4 



